DALLAS (NNPA)—State Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) and the Greater Dallas Crime Commission have collaborated with the Dallas Police Department to announce a $10,000 increase in the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the Aug. 6, 2002, death of Christopher Gipson, who worked at a McDonald’s restaurant in Oak Cliff.

Recently, McDonald’s officials informed West that the company also will contribute an additional $10,000 to the reward fund. Combined with the first reward posted by Schepps Dairy, this raises the total reward available for information that leads to the successful prosecution of Gipson’s killers to $35,000.

Gipson, 17, was fatally shot when two robbers entered McDonald’s Red Bird Lane location at around 10:00 p.m. and, without warning, opened fire. He would have been a senior at Irving High School this year. It was his first after-school job and he had just cashed his first paycheck.

“This was a senseless tragedy” said West “This young man was attempting to do the things that society says a person should do to better himself, only to have his life snatched from him and his loved ones. This was a violent and thuggish act. We know that these thugs are amongst us.

Three months after the slaying, Dallas police have made no arrests in the case.
“At this point, we have gone through just hundreds and hundreds of clues and information,” said Sgt. Ross Salverino of the Dallas Police Department. “We are just about the same place we were the night this offense occurred. There were a lot of good people who gave a lot of information, unfortunately, all that checked out turned up to be negative.”

Ryder Scott, chair of the Dallas Crime Commission, pointed out that Gipson’s murderers had their faces covered.
“It’s important that we have continuing information on this case because of the masks that were worn,” said Scott.

Salverino said that with two suspects involved, it’s very likely that at least one of them has discussed their crime with someone.

“It’s highly unusual for two people in a crime to keep it quiet,” said Salverino. “We’re hoping, at this point, that the large reward will motivate someone who knows who was involved in this crime to step forward.”

Soon after the murder/robbery, Schepps Dairy, a McDonald’s supplier, posted a $15,000 reward through CrimeStoppers. West, the Greater Dallas Crime Commission and McDonald’s are enlisting the support of business, civic organizations and the public in helping to solve this senseless and horrendous crime.

“This is about Christopher Gipson, but it’s also about us all,” West continued. “It’s about our way of life that we in a free society have grown accustomed to, about the right for law-abiding citizens of having the right to come and go as they please.”

West said Gipson represents all youth who seek part-time work as a way to start fulfilling their dreams. “There was no struggle, no exchange of words or arguments,” said West. “Christopher never had a chance.”
“I appreciate the Greater Dallas Crime Commission stepping up and making available resources that may help find the persons responsible for this vicious crime,” said West. “I am also very pleased that McDonald’s has chosen to join this effort. I commend them for the cooperation and assistance they have provided law enforcement throughout the investigation of this senseless and brutal crime. I challenge other members of the business community to step forward in the effort to ensure that our neighborhoods are safe from acts of what I will categorize as domestic terrorism.”

“We must do everything in our power to make sure that the Christopher Gipson murder is solved and that we send the message that this type of activity will not be tolerated in this community,” West said. “Once—not if—we find them, we must make sure that they receive due process and never commit these types of crimes again.”